Bad Drivers...Won't Stop!

Hiya everyone! Here's the most recent pass of my monologue assignment for Animation Mentor. The final -- which is just the body motion -- is due this weekend. Next term, I'll be continuing on this shot by adding facial expressions, mouth movement, etc. Enjoy!

Sister's Wedding Caricatures

My sister will be getting married this coming summer (congrats, sis!), and she commissioned me to make caricatures of the wedding party for she and her fiance's website. Hope you all enjoy!

Bad Drivers...Again?!?

Yep yep, here's the reblocking of my latest monologue shot. Background is turned off; it was kinda distracted, and so I'm working on something different. For the time being I'm just using the car and the general. Enjoy!

Bad Drivers

This is my blocking pass for a new monologue shot I'm working on, for Animation Mentor class #4. Hope you enjoy! (In case you're wondering, the audio is of Michael Caine from the original The Italian Job).


NOTES:
- Car rig courtesy of sudhi3d and creativecrash.com
- Background image courtesy of my sister, Cate Ryan, from one of her photo albums
- Props and character rig courtesy of AnimationMentor.com

The Holy Trinity Drawing - Revisited

A while back I had painted an abstract piece based on the Mercy Me song "I Can Only Imagine". Also, I had drawn a cross based on the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity. Then God granted me an epiphany -- why not combine them together? The results are above. Enjoy!

P.S. - Special thanks to my girlfriend Nina who gave me advice on finishing the halo! : )

Writer's Block Final

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen of the jury...my final version (at least for now) of the pantomime shot for AM class 4. Still needs work here & there...but then again, when does animation ever get done? Anyways, enjoy!

P.S. - Happy All Saints' Day!

The People of Burbank

As the title suggests, I was out sketching people in Burbank. Lots of interesting folks! Enjoy.

The Joys of Writer's Block...

Here's my newest assignment for Animation Mentor. I was tasked with making a pantomime scene, and I chose an author with writer's block as my focus. Enjoy!

Music Travels Faster Underwater

Yo yo everybody! Here's another friend-turned-superhero character design, then turned into an artsy piece, that I've been working on here and there over the past few months (I've picked it up for a few hours, then put it down). It was fun to play around in photoshop and see what resulted. Enjoy!

"Forsooth!" -- Part 3 Update #2

A little better; need to revise some more stuff and take it out of stepped mode. Plus, I still think Stu needs to spin once more on the table, but I'm running out of frames. Ideas, anyone?

"Forsooth!" -- Part 3: I Sense No Danger Here...

This is the blocking pass for the final installment of the Stu the Viking saga (well, at least for AM...I may do more in my free time). Stu has finally found the legendary "Ruby of Ahnema-shon mintoor'datcom". However, this seemingly safe room might not be what it seems....

"Forsooth!" -- Part 2: Rock and a Hard Place

Hiya hiya hiya, folks! Here's my second assignment for AM this quarter. Continuing the viking-searching-through-the-dungeon scenario, our heroic Stu finds himself in a long hallway with a door at the end. What dangers lie in wait for him this time? Press play and find out!!!

"Forsooth!" -- Part 1: The Bottomless Chasm

About 4 weeks ago I started my 3rd term at Mentor. It's a great program; it's a blessing to be a part of it! This term students are given the option to pursue what's called an "anijam" -- basically a series of animations that form one continuous idea / story / theme. The idea is that it will allow you to tackle something more production-based rather than just an exercise in motion.

Anywho, for my theme I decided to go with a viking character who is exploring a fortress / dungeon. Along the way he encounters booby traps; each assignment features a different trap. Part 1 is using a rope to swing across a chasm. Part 2 and 3 to come in the following weeks!

(P.S. -- the shot GUI says "Final" on it, but this is not my final version; I've got a lot of polishing to do still).
(P.S.S. -- Oh, and I didn't forget about the dance animation from earlier...in the process of polishing that one too!)

Hold That Tiger -- Part 2

Here's a more updated version of my dance animation (minus the sounds; will add it back in later). Should be finished by the end of the week. Enjoy!

Hold That Tiger

Here's a re-blocking pass for my newest assignment on AnimationMentor.com. I chose to animate a simple dance, and after browsing through some really entertaining videos online, I stumbled upon the Charleston. In this clip Stu is dancing to "Tiger Rag" (as performed by Benny Goodman). Taking a tip from my mentor, I may add a cane at the end that will yank Stu offstage. Enjoy!

Snowman WIP Part 4

It's almost done! Here's my work-in-progress scene...part 4!

Snowman WIP Part 3

Here's the most recent update of my scene -- to be done soon! Check it out.

Snowman WIP Part 2

Here's my work-in-progress for the dialogue scene involving the snowman (see previous post). Actually, for now I don't have the snowman in the scene! Just got the husband and wife going, but I'll work on their frosty house guest in the near future. Enjoy!

Even Snowmen Get Cold

Here's a rough pass of a dialogue piece I'm working on for my reel. The quote's taken from Elf. As I progress through this I'll post up the more developed versions. Enjoy!

P.S. -- Check the post before this one to see what the guy character will look like -- I'm using the George character design I posted earlier. I'll post his wife's design up later on.

Which Way Did He Go, George?

Here's a rough turn-around of a character design I'm working on; cleaned-up one, along with facial expressions and action poses, will be coming soon. His name's George, and I'm using him and another character for a dialogue piece I'm animating. Check it out!

He's kind of like an old Italian grandpa living in the Bronx with his wife Alice. They argue quite a bit but love each other dearly. He's more of the rational, down-to-earth, yet stubborn and grumpy type. He's got a big appetite, especially for traditional Italian food and the regular dishes served at Super Bowl parties. A retired teacher (taught music and basketball); can make a trombone sound sorrowful and an accordion sweetly pleasant. Strong dislike for squirrels.

"I will come with you to Alderaan..."

For those of you who are reading (anyone? Bueller?), I've officially -- as of 4 weeks ago -- started up my first term at Animation Mentor and it's been awesome! There's so much to learn from this program -- from the mentors, classmates, and wealth of information they provide. It's sweet!

If you'd like to learn more about animation / get tips on animating but aren't sure if you even want to sign up for Animation Mentor, there's a great link you should check out . Shawn Kelly, one of the co-founders of AM, has a blog that he regularly updates with advice on working with this art form. Check it out:

http://animationtipsandtricks.com/